The Trump Administration’s effort to deport Mahmoud Khalil, a Palestinian activist and former Columbia University student, presents observers with two possible positions upon which to argue a case.
The first rests on the notion that those provided access to America follow steps to become citizens. While doing so they are expected to obey all laws and stick to the purpose for which they were permitted entrance. If they fail, the law can be applied heavily and they could very easily be deported. Depending upon where they are in the citizenship process, they could claim they have a stronger legal status and therefore deserve protections that strictly apply to American citizens. Their actions will be scrutinized closely as they live in their new country. Expecting a demonstration of respect for the nation that has invited you in does not seem onerous.
The second hinges on the idea that once a person enters the United States legally, they are fully protected and few reasons exist for anyone’s deportation. The open border advocates believe in the wide application of citizen rights arguing that constitutional freedoms become attached to anyone who has the ensuing immigration status:
- Legal Permanent Resident (LPR) or green card holder
- Non-Immigrant Visa (temporary workers, students, tourists)
- Undocumented Immigrants (no legal status)
- Conditional Permanent Resident: Individuals who are granted permanent residency based on a qualifying marriage to a U.S. citizen or LPR, but with conditions that must be met (e.g., the marriage must be valid).
- Special Immigrant Juvenile Status (SIJ): A category for certain juvenile immigrants who have been abused, neglected, or abandoned, and are in the care of a US court.
- VAWA Self-Petitioner: Victims of domestic violence
Having established some groundwork for understanding the various immigration stages, it would be important to note that Khalil, the subject of this article’s concern, is 30 years old, was born and raised in Syria and is married to an American citizen who shies away from being seen in public and is reportedly eight months pregnant. On March 8, 2025 Immigration and Customs Enforcement officers arrested Khalil with the intent of deporting him for his role in supporting pro-Palestinian demonstrations on Columbia’s campuses and supporting Hamas, a terrorist organization committed to armed resistance against Israel and to establishing a Palestinian state.
There are defenders of Khalil who would object to suggesting he had worked on behalf of Hamas. The evidence proves otherwise. According to Newsweek Magazine, “Prior to his arrest, the Palestinian activist told AP last week, ‘I have around 13 allegations against me, most of them are social media posts that I had nothing to do with.’” The allegations are from the university’s newly created Office of Institutional Equity, which has sent dozens of notices to students who have participated in a range of activities in support of Palestinians, according to the AP. Khalil has been accused of organizing an event that glorified Hamas’ October 7 attack. The U.S. recognizes Hamas as a terror organization. On these grounds things become sticky. Few would be surprised to learn that there are demonstrators at Columbia and in New York who are in favour of Palestinian rights and oppose Israel. The problem occurs when the protests aimed at drawing attention to Palestinian rights become rallies that harass Jewish students, blockade them from attending class, or threaten them physically. If Khalil has engaged in these activities and a court hearing proves this, how far do free speech rights extend to those who do not have full citizenship?
In National Review, “What’s the Best Argument for Columbia Agitator’s Arrest and Deportation?” Andrew McCarthy writes: “Khalil has been a prominent figure in the pro-Hamas agitation at Columbia — as late as last week when he reportedly posed as a mediator between the university and ‘protesters’ who occupied a building at Barnard College — an unlawful enterprise that resulted in nine arrests (Khalil was not among them). That uprising was evidently triggered by Barnard’s expulsion of two students who, hiding behind masks, interrupted a ‘History of Modern Israel’ class by barging in and strewing Jew-hatred flyers around the room.” Khalil’s defenders point out that he never participated in violent or hateful actions, and only used words that fuelled the protests. As McCarthy later asserts, Islamist associations and the Democratic party are coming to Khalil’s assistance. They argue that his arrest and the government’s efforts to deport him are illegal. Southern District of New York Judge Jesse Furman ordered the Trump Administration to halt plans to remove Khalil from the United States until the courts can render an opinion. On what basis does the Trump administration think it can deport Khalil?
CNN has learned that the president’s team plans to lean on the Immigration Act and section 1227. As McCarthy reported in a separate report for National Review (Can Trump Deport a Green-Card-Holding, Pro-Hamas Columbia Grad?), Secretary of State Marco Rubio has determined that “An alien privileged to reside in the United States, even a green-card holder, should not be able to engage in activities that would form a legal basis to exclude the alien from entering our country in the first place.” What President Donald Trump and his administration want to accomplish with Khalil could then be used to deport others. Trump and millions of others in the country have a hard time understanding why progressives, liberals, and Democrats struggle to see how these guests end up creating problems that should not attend their being in the United States. Many who heard Trump’s pleas also experienced and witnessed the lawlessness.
“Euphemistically labelled ‘protests,’ this agitation included unabashed antisemitism, an illegal encampment on campus, and the forcible occupation of Hamilton Hall — the latter provocations were finally ended by the New York City Police Department after temporizing by university officials. Columbia’s paralyzed response to, if not encouragement of, the unrest resulted in the resignation of its president, Minouche Shafik, back in August. Not much has changed: Nine agitators were arrested at the university last week in connection with a takeover of a Barnard College building. And as our David Zimmermann reports, President Trump has pulled $400 million in federal grants and contracts from Columbia, an initiative of the administration’s antisemitism task force.”
If some think Khalil deserves sanctuary in America after hearing of his activities, they understand free speech to be guaranteed to anyone who steps foot on America’s shores. If they understand immigration law, they know that Khalil’s actions are not protected and that people in the middle of the country will continue to side with Trump when he acts to rid the country of this kind of agitation. Sadly, the great portion of students repeating the awful pro-Hamas and anti-Israel slogans are Americans born in the United States. Removing them will not be possible. When the small act of trying to return people who want to foment sit-ins, campus shutdowns, and occupations of academic buildings brings challenges from the loyal opposition, the chilling reality of constant upheaval in the nation’s most elite institutions seems inevitable.
Political rallies were part of my attendance at university in the United States. I heard President Ronald Reagan speak in Greenville during the 1984 campaign and in 1987 went to meetings held for both parties’ nominations in 1988. I never dreamed of becoming an agitator or provoking any kind of disruption. I respected my status and appreciated the opportunity to study. Those coming to advance a foreign cause had better be fully aware that some presidents are less tolerant of abuse and willing to enforce the law. If the Khalil case plays out as this administration hopes there will be more deportations and a clear message that America wants those who are ready to obey the law, earn their citizenship, and contribute to the general welfare. If Khalil finds protection in the courts America will face an uphill climb in fighting antisemitism and find the prospect of border management more difficult. Worse, if those born here become the grassroots of these terrorist groups, learning could become as hazardous as joining the military.
Dave Redekop is a retired elementary resource teacher who worked part-time at the St. Catharines Courthouse as a Registrar until being appointed Executive Director at Redeemer Bible Church in October 2023. He has worked on political campaigns since high school and attended university in South Carolina for five years, earning a Master’s in American History with a specialization in Civil Rights. Dave loves reading biographies.
